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321 ratings, 3.80 average rating, 41 reviews
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published
January 17th 1996
by Free Press
binding
Paperback, 384 pages
isbn
0684802031
(isbn13: 9780684802039)
description
What are the most important things in your life? Do they get as much care, emphasis, and time as you'd like to give them? Far from the traditional &qu...more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 463)
Read in September, 2008
recommends it for:
everyone
In this fast paced world, we often bury ourselves with the urgency of things. Deadlines, projects and to-do lists often constitute most of our busy lives. We often confuse efficiency for effectiveness and this ultimately leads to unfulfilled lives in other endeavors.
First things first tries to break that illusion. Through organizing and planning, integral action and through evaluation of our daily lives it compels its readers to be more effective rather than efficient. It weighs the differen...more
First things first tries to break that illusion. Through organizing and planning, integral action and through evaluation of our daily lives it compels its readers to be more effective rather than efficient. It weighs the differen...more
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Another terrifically helpful book from the pen of Stephen Covey. I eprsonally found especially useful the two-by-two matrix he discusses as a way to roganize yourself. The four resulting quadrants include:
1. Important and Urgent
2. Important, Not Urgent
3. Urgent, Not Important
4. Not Urgent, Not Important
Simply put, most people spend far too much time in quadrants 3 & 4. We also spend too much time in quadrant 1, not that those issues are unimportant, but because we don't manag...more
1. Important and Urgent
2. Important, Not Urgent
3. Urgent, Not Important
4. Not Urgent, Not Important
Simply put, most people spend far too much time in quadrants 3 & 4. We also spend too much time in quadrant 1, not that those issues are unimportant, but because we don't manag...more
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Read in February, 1989
I first read this book in about 1990 and the content is as relevant today as it was back then. I learned so much from this book that has served me well for 19 years of professional work, and every time I reread a section it just reminds me how important if is to make sure you are doing first things first.
I feel that Covey has a great mind when it comes to achieving your personal best, and this book puts the rubber to the road. The materials in this book about setting goals, translating you...more
I feel that Covey has a great mind when it comes to achieving your personal best, and this book puts the rubber to the road. The materials in this book about setting goals, translating you...more
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Read in April, 2008
This book was a slow read for me, it was really hard for me to get into it, I especially had a hard time with all of the different "quadrants" of organization and such, I'm just not into that. Although, there were a lot of things that I did like about the book. One point brought up is that we use busy-ness as a way to validate ourselves and to feel important, and I think that's very true, and I am starting to realize that it really doesn't matter. I don't have to be involved in a mi...more
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Read in January, 2005
Dalam buku ini salah satunya dibahas masalah Visi, apa sih visi itu? untuk memngerti menganai visi, secara extreme corvey meminta kita membayangkan, pada saat ultah kita ke 70 nanti siapa saja yang datang, atau apa yang ingin kita dengan dari undangan yang datang? Lebih extreme lagi, coba bayangkan kalau kita meninggal apa yang akan kita dengar dari orang2 disekiling kita...?
Sebuah ilustrasi yang menarik, saya kira buku ini sangat bagus dibaca buat kita yang sulit menentukan prioritas dalam k...more
Sebuah ilustrasi yang menarik, saya kira buku ini sangat bagus dibaca buat kita yang sulit menentukan prioritas dalam k...more
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This book has been great so far for me to look at my life and how I'm spending my time. I want to leave a legacy and not just go through life being busy--doing nothing important but always urgent. It really delves deep into why we can get addicted to urgency and busyness and how to address the deeper issues to change it.
I'm really growing with this book. Taking it step by step.
I'm really growing with this book. Taking it step by step.
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Reading this for two reasons: 1) I've listened to Covey's books before and he resonated with me; and 2) I saw this book on the blog The Simple Dollar and the review intrigued me. So far, I'm reading 1-2 pages while supervising bathtime - which probably right there explains why I need to read it. Or, perhaps, why it's already too late.
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For me, this was a new way of looking at "a balanced life." Sometimes we focus so much on the urgent things, that we forget about the important things that aren't necessarily so urgent. Very insightful. It made me think that I need to focus left on getting things done, and more on getting the important things done!
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Read in September, 2004
This is a great book to keep yourself focused on working life with a possitive outlook. Many books out there tell you to just press on and/or to have faith. I liked this book because he walked you through the processes...a great one to take your time with...let the process change and prepare you for success.
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Read in January, 2001
recommends it for:
everyone, leaders, teachers
Teaches you the art and craft of time management. Move away from reactive day to day to do list planning and gets you to view your time as the week proactively scheduling in your priorities with the compass card. The principle of the clock and the compass is right on.
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Read in January, 1996
Taught me about keeping the first things, the most important things, first.
To keep most of my time on what is important and not urgent. Preparation, prevention, planning, and relationships.
To Live, to Love, to Learn, to Leave a Legacy
To keep most of my time on what is important and not urgent. Preparation, prevention, planning, and relationships.
To Live, to Love, to Learn, to Leave a Legacy
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Read in January, 2007
recommends it for:
Those who have problem in managing their time
Probabaly one of the best books that i have ever read. While reading the book i thought that surely Stephen R.Covey will be a Muslim soon because almost everything what he wrote was in perfect cociliation with the teachings of Islam.
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Read in March, 2007
buku yang bagus tentang time management, dengan membagi aktivitas kedalam 4 quadrant, dan ilustrasi mengenai memasukan batu, kerikil, pasir dan air ke dalam keranjang sangat menggugah.. so.. keep your main things, main things...
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I felt like this was a little long for me. When that happens I need to go back and read it again, I probably wasn't ready for the information! Great stuff in the first of it and maybe I was feeling guilty?
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First Things First is a helpful continuation of many of the concepts put forth in The 7 Habits. I liked the addition of some personal experiences shared by Roger and Rebecca Merrill.
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Read in December, 2007
recommends it for:
manage our first to do
it help me to manage my time.
though the idea wasn't new but it's so much thing that i can learn more
i can be more punctual and effective
well, in the practice it not an easy way to do
though the idea wasn't new but it's so much thing that i can learn more
i can be more punctual and effective
well, in the practice it not an easy way to do
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Read in January, 2002
This was given to me by one of my grad students... I didn't find it particularly helpful or expansive... I sort of had the sense that Covey was capitalizing on the popularity of his first book
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The best Covey book I have read! This book has changed the way that I think and the way that I view myself and my relationship to others. I can't recommend it highly enough.
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Maybe not the best book through and through, but the principles it made me think about when I read it (as a young teenager) helped me make good decisions, and for this I am thankful.
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Not as big a jump for me personally, as this book is a bit of a refried 7 Habits. There are some decent tips/pointers.
I recommend skimming this one rather than intently reading it.
I recommend skimming this one rather than intently reading it.
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